2. Argentine Tango Techniques & Body Mechanics (since Jan 8, 2010)

QUALIFICATION:

The following comments and ideas are solely based on our own interpretations and understanding along the way while learning from various Argentine Tango friends, teachers, milongueros, and milongueras; also, we have the benefit of many years of previous training in ballroom dancing and martial art to allow us to visualize and to break down movements into their fundamental components.

ESSENCE OF TANGO:

Tango is a canvas of music and songs on which the emotions
of a couple paint a short-lived experience with their inner feelings.The essence of tango lies in its music and
songs, which give rise to movements.The
difficulties of dancing tango will always be the interpretation of its music
and songs with the feeling in the heart.When we dance, we must surrender
and simply express our movements as required by the rhythms and melodies, as they
are the canvas.Otherwise, the physical movements
will be oddly disharmonious with the feeling of Tango.

IMPROVISATION:

The ability to provide an immediate reaction to an action at the moment intuitively and creatively

forms the foundation of improvisation. The opposite of improvisation is recitation.

What does it mean that Argentine Tango is all improvisation? How do we dance an all improvisational dance? The purpose of this page is an attempt to provide a possible guiding path which may lead to the answers to these two questions.

We all learn by observing and assimilating information into our memory. We solve problems by recalling methods, techniques, and previous solutions of similar problems from memory. We solve a problem creatively and intuitively means that the problem at the moment is new, never seen before and solving it by gut-feeling. Taking solution methods and techniques from seemingly un-related problems to solve a never seen before problem is solving problem creatively and intuitively, to come up with an improvised solution. The improvisation of Argentine Tango is a lot like the creative problem solving skills in real life.

At the moment that a step is being lead or being countered, there may be just one solution to the step, if a dancer is reciting a standard packaged step sequence or if the dancer is going to resolve with a response step from a wealth of possible solution steps from other unrelated packaged step sequences. There are many classical packaged step sequences in Argentine Tango. These classical sequences are essential to develop personal sense of Argentine Tango gut-feeling.

The key to improvisation is not afraid to apply them in new situation.

The following is an attempt to systematically organize the essential information to develop this gut-feeling about Argentine Tango.

POSTURE:

A good mental picture of the positioning and the range of motion of the various parts of the body is fundamental to achieve a good posture for dancing.

Neutral Position

Head

For both leaders and followers:

Imagine that we want to see the portion of the ceiling, which is directly above our heads, we would have to lift our chins, rotate our head backward upon our necks and our necks upon our shoulders . If we now hold our necks in position relative to our shoulders and at the same time bring down our chins by rotating our head forward upon our necks until our eyes are looking straight forward, we would achieve the neutral positioning for our heads, having our necks in the perfectly vertical alignment position.

Shoulders

For both leaders and followers:

Imagine that we need to reach down to the bottom of the pockets of our pants at the same time, our shoulders would have arrived to their neutral positions

Chest & Elbows

For both leaders and followers:

Imagine that if we are holding a very large oval plate along its circumference with our chest, arms, palms and finger tips in a horizontal position at the level of our sternum, our chests and elbows would have arrived to their respective neutral positions.

Leaders:

First, rotate the left palm up while rotating the left elbow down (counterclockwise rotation from 3 o'clock to 11 o'clock) and keeping the left elbow close to the side of the body. The left wrist is to finish at the height of the sternum. Second, rotate the right palm up while rotating the right elbow down (clockwise rotation from 9 o'clock to 10 o'clock).

Followers:

First, rotate both palms to face outward as if the imaginary oval plate along its circumference with our chest, arms, back of our hands and finger tips. Second, rotate the right hand up while rotating the right elbow down (clockwise rotation from 9 o'clock to 1 o'clock). The right wrist is to finish at the height of the sternum.

Third, rotate the left hand up while rotating the left elbow down (counterclockwise rotation from 3 o'clock to 12 o'clock).

Spine & Ankles

For both leaders and followers:

Imagine that if we are standing on top of the balls of our feet, having our heels off the floor. Our back will straighten out automatically to achieve balance. Once we have achieved balance, we lower our heel slowly without wobbling back and forth. Now holding our entire body in position and lean forward as much as we can by rotating forward upon our ankles without falling forward. The maximum forward position of this body leaning forward without falling is the neutral position. Our weights are on top of the balls of our feet, not on our heels.

BALANCE:

To be in balance is to be in control of the effect of gravity, so that we do not end up in the direction or path that we do not expect while standing, posting and dancing. Our body structure resists the effect of gravity by keeping the center mass of the body in vertical alignment on top of our standing foot or between the standing feet.

Stationary

Balance On One Foot

If a dancer is in balance on only one foot, there is no ambiguity regarding to the location of the center mass of the body from the perspective of the partner. This is important for dancers to ingrain this idea into muscle memory and form part of the dancing habit.

Ankle touching (JUNTA) prior to taking a step is a great way to ensure that balance is always returned to one standing foot before the beginning of the next step. There are three possible ways to perform (JUNTA) for each standing foot. Imagine balance on left foot: (1) left ankle of the right foot touching the right ankle of standing foot; (2a) right ankle of the right foot touching the left ankle of the standing foot by crossing in front of the standing foot and (2b) crossing behind of the standing foot.

While performing (JUNTA), it important to remember to use the proper edges of the right foot. The inside edge is along the big toe and the outside edge is along the baby toe. (1) above requires the inside edge having the bottom of the right foot facing away in a slight angle to the floor; (2a & 2b) require the outside edge having the bottom of the right foot facing away in a slight angle to floor.

A great way to visualize and to remember which edge of the foot to use is to imagine that a dancer is standing at the center of an analog clock and facing 12 o'clock. The dancer needs to use the inside edge of the right foot whenever the right big toe is landing between 12 o'clock and 9 o'clock [going clockwise] and to use the outside edge of the right foot whenever the right big is pointing at 12 o'clock behind the left heel. The dancer needs to use the inside edge of the left foot whenever the left big toe is landing between 12 o'clock and 3 o'clock [going counter-clockwise] and to use the outside edge of the left foot whenever the left big is pointing at 12 o'clock behind the right heel.

If a leader has ingrained (JUNTA) into muscle memory, the follower would have very little difficult to feel the correct balancing foot of the leader to achieve synchronized movement.

If a follower has ingrained (JUNTA) into muscle memory, the follower is completely free to rotate or to pivot in any direction as directed by the leader with minimal effort. Since the correct edge of the non-load bearing foot is already close to the floor, weight transferring for the follower would be very efficient. This is the fastest transition between a linear dance path and a rotational dance path, vice versa.

Note: In ballroom dancing, this is called "collect your steps".

Different Strides

Forward Stride

It is important to understand that we all have to adapt the way we dance to our body structure. A particular length of the legs determines the particular length of a stride. To dance efficiently, one must determine and recognize one's own maximum stride without losing balance. To determine one's maximum stride, one needs to balance on one foot with the torso in neutral position above the ball of the standing foot with the moving foot in (JUNTA) position, then points the big toe of the free hanging leg forward as far away as possible while touching the floor without losing balance. This is the initial position before actually taking a stride. Now imagine that one is falling forward like a tree while using the big toe of the free hanging leg to shave the floor like a cutting blade forward continuously. At the same time, one rotates forward at the ankle and pushes off by rolling on top of the ball of the standing foot until only the big toe touching the floor. One holds the left big toe in position touching the floor, while standing on the right foot (with flex straight knee). This is the completed forward stride. Maintaining balance with flex knee on top of the standing right foot, drag the big toe of the left foot forward shaving the floor.

Backward Stride

To determine the maximum backward stride length, one really just run the same sequence above backward! One needs to balance on one foot with the torso above the ball of the standing foot with the moving foot in (JUNTA) position, then points the big toe of the free hanging leg backward as far away as possible while touching the floor without losing balance. [This is exactly the end position of the forward stride length determination.] By flexing the knee of the standing foot and allowing the torso to fall forward while sliding the big toe of the extending leg little more backward, one transfers weight from standing foot to moving foot backward swiftly and performs (JUNTA) at the end of weight transfer. One holds the big toe of the free hanging in position touching the floor, while standing on the weight bearing foot (flex straight knees) with torso above the ball of the standing foot. This is the completed backward stride.

Side to Side StrideStanding on the weight bearing foot, one hangs the free moving leg by the hip joint while having the the big toe touching floor in (JUNTA) position. One extends the moving leg sideway by rotation at the hip joint with straight knee and big toe shaving the floor. One needs to keep the knee straight and pushes the big toe of the moving foot side way touching the floor as far away as possible without losing balance or shifting weight. Flexing the knee of the standing foot while sliding the big toe the moving foot a little more sideway, one transfers weight from the standing foot to the moving foot sideway swiftly and finish in (JUNTA) position. This is the completed sideway stride.

Note: When a leader uses the non-load-bearing foot as a secondary balance contact point to the floor, the position of the leader's body weight would be very clear to the follower, vise-versa.

Dynamic

Translational

Translational movements are linear in nature - straight forward/backward and side open to right/left in relation to the hip.

Cross to the left (with the right foot toward the right side of the follower) and cross to the right (with the left foot toward the left side of the follower) forward & backward, side-to-side left & right. We must first rotate our hip to face the translation direction before execute a cross step.

One has four track options to walk, two inside and two outside tracks and two method to walk, mirror-opposite and mirror-cross to partner. Therefore, if one leaves out side-side movement, by virtue of combinations, there are eight possible track-method movements.

During mirror-opposite movement, one can follows the techniques, which were describes in the Stationary Balance section [above], swing the hanging leg at the hip joint, straight knee, projecting the big toe forward, sliding the big toe while bending the knee of the standing foot, rotating forward at the ankle and push off by rolling on top of the ball of the standing.

However, during mirror-cross and diagonally outside track movements, one needs to add Contra-Body Movement Positioning (torquing the torso in the opposite direction as the hip which is facing the direction of the movement toward the right or toward the left) to counter-balance the diagonal rotation effect of the steps .

If a leader is taking a left step diagonally across to the right inside track, the leader's left foot will be directly in front of the right foot at weight transfer, Just before weight transfer, the right standing foot becomes the center of rotation; the stepping path between the feet is an arc and a clockwise momentum is created. In order to counteract this clockwise momentum, one needs to apply a counter-clockwise C.B.M.P. at weight transfer to maintain a forward path momentum.

One needs to practice contra-body movement positioning until it becomes a second nature:

When people walk naturally, the arms swing as counter-weight to counter-act the torquing moment within the upper body every time a step is taken: Left arm forward to match a right foot forward and right arm forward to match a left foot forward. Since dancing tango having the arms in an embrace and unable to swing, C.B.M.P. is really just a technique to provide what the swinging arms do in natural walk.

Torsional

Torsional dynamic balance means to maintain balance while stretching body's tendons and ligaments in a spiral movement to the left or to the right to build up elastic potential energy within the tendons and ligaments then release them to allow them snap back to neutral position. The release of the stored elastic potential energy will then drive the body into either rotation movements [as in enrosques] or pendulum movements within the body structure [as in C.B.M.P. for translational movements]

Dissociation of torsional movement between torso and hip is required to generate clean dynamic rotations along one's own standing axis. This kind of rotation is not based on initial built-up of angular momentum but rather relies on torsional energy passing back and forth between the torso and the hip.

Imagine that there are four elastic bands connecting the left side of the rib cage to the right hip and right side of the rib cage to the left hip as a "X" on front and back. Imagine that while standing on one foot and holding the hip in place without any movement, rotating the torso 90 degree to the left will elongate the elastic bands connecting between the left side of the rib cage and the right hip on the front and the right side of the rib cage and left hip on the back. The elongation of the two elastic bands stores up elastic energy as tension and is pulling the hip to the same angular direction as the torso. Next, let the hip to snap back to neutral position and further rotate the hip for an additional 90 degree, while holding the torso in position. Now the torso and the hip is 180 degree separated or dissociated. In another word, each full 360 degree rotation is generated by the hip and by the torso, 180 degree each. One can rotate easily without losing balance.

Torso Energy: hold the hip in a fixed position, rotate torso to its maxmum angular position first, then hold the torso in the fixed position, allow the hip to rotate to release the built-up torsional energy by the torso.

Hip Energy: hold the torso in a fixed position, rotate hip to its maxmum angular position first, then hold the hip in the fixed position, allow the torso to rotate to release the built-up torsional energy by the hip.

Rotational

Rotational dynamic balance means to maintain balance in rotational movement. Rotational movements are more complicate than translational movements as center of rotation and the system of rotation changes between single person and partnership.

From the perspective of a single person, the rotational axis passes through the top of the head, the neck, the torso, the hip joint and the leg of the standing foot and the floor contact point of rotation as in enrrosques.

From the perspective of a partnership rotating, the rotational axis passes through air, somewhere between the two bodies as in colgadas!

From the perspective of a system of movements as when the leader is doing an errosque and the follower is doing a molinette.

Projectional

Projectional dynamic balance means to project our center of gravity toward the intended direction to its maximum reaching position before any step. This could be either translational, rotational and spiral in nature. Simply put, project the sternum toward to the point just before falling forward in the line of the intended movement. This is how the leader transmit the intention of the next step before the step. The reason is that tango dancers connect at the vicinity of the the sternum and sides of the rib cage, which effectively move the combined center of gravity of the dancer above the belly button, where center of gravity resides individually. Since the sternum location needs to pass beyond the vertical plane which intersect the center of gravity to make the connection with the partner, the only way and surely to indicate the movement intention to the follower is to push the sternum to its maximum outermost reaching point before the actual step. If the sternum has not moved and passed beyond the big toe of the standing foot of the leader, the follower will not able to receive good unambiguous directional information and the intention of the upcoming step. Leader should never try to compensate one's ambiguous leading by pushing and pulling with the arms as this will only reinforce the bad habit of leading by the arms not by the chest.

FRAME:

Sincerely, the importance of the frame of the dance embrace diminishes as one focuses the importance of the connection between sternums and alongside the rib cages. The more one thinking about and fussing about the dance embrace, the more likely one would try to dance and to lead with arms and hands.

In general, leader's left elbow should be by the side of the rib cage, not up in the horizontal position. The left hand should be held at somewhere between chin heights of the leader and follower or to the same height as the leader's sternum . The right elbow pit should wrap around the left shoulder blade of the follower. The right hand should be placed just on the top half of the right shoulder blade of the follower. The leader's shoulders should be relaxed and dropped while dancing. The leader's back should be in convex position and the front of the chest in concave position . Always lead by the chest not by arms. Always turn and rotate with the entire upper body rather than pulling and pushing with arms and hands.

It is recommended that one should learn how to lead with chest before learning nuevo style types of leading through the arms by tension and compression forces.

PENDULUM:

Normally, we think of pendulum as a mass attached to an anchoring point with a piece of string and the mass swings about the anchoring point due to the effect of gravity. Within our body structure, we can visualize an upside down "V", having the vertex at the sternum and each leg of the "V" represents all the connecting parts from sternum to the feet. The standing leg provides the vertical support for the sternum, the anchoring point. As one projects the sternum forward beyond the big toe of the standing foot, the hanging leg should fall forward due to gravity. This concept can be applied to any direction, moving the hanging leg by moving the sternum out of alignment of the standing leg.

TANGO WALK:

Natural Walk

Normally, we swing our hanging leg forward, rotating at the hip joint, to maintain our center of gravity in the middle of each stride. Effectively, just before the hanging leg landing on the heel, our center of gravity is falling forward and rotating in an arc having a moment arm between the heel of the standing foot and the center of gravity. From heel to heel, this is our individual natural stride distance. The pendulum picture of the natural walk can be visualized by having the vertex of the upside down "V" at the hip joint.

Heel and Toe Leads

Our natural walk have much longer period to complete each stride cycle than typical tango/ milonga/ vals rhythm. During natural walk, the impacts of our heels making to the floor is much lighter than dancing as we have more time to change weight between our feet. If we are dancing toe lead, the whole foot acts like a shock absorber to slow down the downward force to allow a soft landing for the heel, which is better for the knee and hip in the longer run. However, sometimes it is necessary to dance heel-lead and toe-lead steps as in a grape-vine sequence in milonga.

Personally, I prefer toe-lead over heel-lead, because toe-lead is more elegant.

Mechanic of a Salida and the First Step

When a leader and a follower first meet up, the first action is to look at each other's eyes while standing about 12" apart. The second action is to form the embrace with the appropriate amount of leaning forward energy while balancing on all feet. The third action is to do a salida such that each partner will only balance on one foot. Prior to the execution of a salida, both partners must shift the combined center mass over the left or the right standing feet to release the other feet for translational movement. In order to allow the moving feet to extend out laterally and elegantly with pointing toes, the partners must synchronize the movement with the rotation of the torso toward the standing feet. Weight transfer over to the new weight bearing feet by synchronize the movement with the rotation of the torso toward the standing feet and finish with a pointing toes of the previous standing feet. Retracting the pointing toe in preparation of the first step by synchronize the movement with the rotation of the torso toward the retracting pointing toes. After the ankles of the feet of the retracting pointing toes touch the weight bearing standing feet, the pointing toes extend out toward the intended direction.

Mechanic of the Following Steps

Each subsequent stride after the salida and the first step must be initiated by synchronized rotation of the torso toward the moving feet.

PARALLEL VS. CROSS SYSTEM:

Parallel System

When the leader and follower are stepping in mirror image: leader's right foot to follower's left foot and leader's left foot to follower's right foot.

Cross System

When the leader and follower are stepping in mirror cross image: leader's right foot to follower's right foot and leader's left foot to follower's left foot.

CAMBIO DE FRENTE:

It is a simple turning walking step sequences that rotate counter-clockwise or clockwise.

Counter-clockwise Rotation

1. Facing the line of dance, leader in parallel system initiates the movement by rotating the torso toward left then takes a right diagonal outside step with the left foot.

2. Leader rotates 90 degree and pivots on the left foot in counter-clockwise direction then takes a side step parallel to the line of dance with the right foot.

3. Leader rotates 90 degree and pivots on the right foot in counter-clockwise direction then takes a straight back step into the line of dance with the left foot.

4. Leader rotates torso 90 degree in counter-clockwise direction looking into the line of dance and takes a second back step into the line of dance with the right foot.

5. Leader rotates 90 degree and pivots on the right foot facing the line of dance and take a left forward step

6. Leader right foot forward step

7. Leader left foot side open

8. Leader right side close [resolution].

Clockwise Rotation

1. Facing the line of dance, leader in parallel system initiates the movement by rotating the torso toward right then takes a left diagonal outside step with the right foot.

2. Leader rotates 90 degree and pivots on the right foot in clockwise direction then takes a side step parallel to the line of dance with the left foot.

3. Leader rotates 90 degree and pivots on the left foot in clockwise direction then takes a straight back step into the line of dance with the right foot.

4. Leader rotates torso 90 degree in clockwise direction looking into the line of dance and takes a second back step into the line of dance with the left foot.

5. Leader rotates 90 degree and pivots on the left foot facing the line of dance and take a right forward step

Draw circles with the big toes, right big toe clock-wise and left big toe counter-clock-wise without crossing center line. Big circles to train maximum reach for balance and small tiny circles next to the heel for building up habit to return foot to center line before taking the next step for proper tango walk. Tiny circles are especially important for followers, always balance on one foot and draw circles while waiting the leader to finish changing direction.

Standing Crosses

Stationary cross exercises at the front and at the back are important to train ankle and lower leg muscles.

Back crosses

Right big toe clock-wise big circle crosses center line at the back and parks on the left side of the left foot and transfer weight.

Left big toe counter-clock-wise big circle crosses center line at the back and parks on the right side of the right foot and transfer weight.

Front crosses

Right big toe counter- clock-wise big circle crosses center line at the front and parks on the left side of the left foot and transfer weight.

Left big toe clock-wise big circle crosses center line at the front and parks on the right side of the right foot and transfer weight.

Standing Pivots

Pivots are done on the metatarsal area of a foot. Rotational momentum is generated sequentially by isolations and dissociated rotational movement between the hip and the torso. Each dissociated rotational movement should ideally cover 90 degrees from neutral position. One is at the neutral position when the hip and the torso are in parallel position to each other. Therefore, conceiveably one can rotate the torso from -90 degree to 90 degree off the neutral position by isolating the hip from any movement and vise versa for the hip by the holding the torso in position. Effectively, one can generate rotational momentum by splitting each 360-degree rotation into two halves between the torso and the hip.

One may try the following pivot exercises.

Part 1:

Balance on the left foot and park the right foot off the floor to the left foot without crossing the knees but touching at the heels. Raise both hands to sternum level, with palms facing away as if touching one of the walls standing inside an imaginary square box. The walls are about one foot away from the torso. Both elbows should be pointing to the floor and are close to the sides of the rib cage. With the left knee slightly bent for better balance, one needs to distribute the entire body weight evenly across the left foot. From this stationary position, one rotates the torso in counter-clockwise direction without rotating the hip and place both palms on the new wall of the imaginary box. Assuming that "-" standing for counter-clock-wise direction and "+" standing for clock-wise direction, the torso is now at -90 degrees from the hip and has generated its portion torque along the central axis. Imagine that one can now anchor both palms onto the new imaginary wall and transfer the weight from the left heel to the ball of the left foot, while letting the hip to rotate naturally in the counter-clockwise direction to unwind the tension previously generated by the isolation of the hip and the torquing of the torso. When the hip becomes parallel with the torso, the hip would have traveled 90 degrees around the central axis

Part 2:

As the hip arrives to the parallel position to the torso, one isolates the torso and actively rotates

the hip further to an extra -90 degree from the neutral position. The left heel needs to come down to the floor when the hip arrives at the end of the extra -90 degree rotation. The hip would have generated its portion of torque along the central axis. Allowing the torso to rotate naturally in the counter-clockwise direction to unwind the torque tension along the central axis while holding the hip in position, the torso would have traveled -90 degree when the torso arrives at the neutral position and the central axis would have completed one 360 degree rotation.

Lapiz

Lapiz movement is a combination of drawing large circles with the big toe from 12 o'clock to 8 o'clock for the right foot in clockwise direction and from 12 o'clock to 4 o'clock for the left foot in counter-clockwise direction while holding the torso in position. The winding up of the standing axis up the torso is due to the dynamic rotation of the hip only. The toe drawing the circle is only the consequence of the hip rotation action. As one unwinds the standing axis by rotating the torso by 90 degrees to the same direction as the previous hip rotation, one begins to retract the lapiz big toe to the inside edge of the big toe of the standing foot. As one rotates the torso by an additional 90 degrees, the standing axis is winding up once again. One holds the big toe of the lapiz in position, pointing to the floor at 90 degree with the heel up while one pushes off the heel and transfers the body weight to the ball of the standing foot to facilitate the hip rotation, 90 degree into neutral position. One repeats the same process by drawing a 3/4 circle on the floor the lapiz big toe.

Ochos

Efficient ocho movements depend one's ability to generate pivot momentum by oneself for forward and backward directions. Effective pivot movement depends on winding up the torso prior to letting the hip to perform a dissociated rotation while balance on the ball of the standing foot. The follower must receive leader's change in direction signal before allowing the hip to rotate to release torso generated internal torque along the standing axis. Therefore, the moment of the actual rotation is a snappy one. Simply put, ochos are standing pivots plus either a diagonal forward step or a backward step.

Ganchos:

From the perspective of a gancho involving the leader's left knee pit and follower's right knee pit:

Follower would be doing a C.B.M. in clockwise rotation with the big toe of the right foot pointing down pressing the floor and the right leg bending like a bending fencing foil. As the leader leads the gancho by a swiftly executing a counter-clockwise following by a clockwise rotation of the torso, follower will release the stored torsional energy of the C.B.M. on the upper body and flexural energy in the leg.

At the moment of the counter-clockwise rotation, follower must shave or flick the floor with the big toe of the right foot just before executing the up-take of the right heel. Follower is using leader counter-clockwise rotation momentum a trigger to release the stored torsional energy in the upper body and the flexural energy in the leg to send the right leg swing backward by the hip joint. The hook or the up-take of the right heel is merely the result of the reaction force as leader's left knee pit blocking follower's right knee pit, not due to follower's voluntarily contracting the hamstring of the right leg. The whipping down of the big toe of the right foot back onto the floor in C.B.M. position is however a combination of using leader's re-coil rotation momentum due to the sudden clockwise torso rotation and flexing the quadriceps of the right upper thigh.

The emphasis of a gancho is how fast the big toe can come back down onto the floor.

Leader would be balancing on the ball of the left foot. At the moment of the end of the counter-clockwise torso rotation, the left heel goes up. Leader's left heel must come back down onto the floor first before the beginning of the clockwise torso rotation.

Square Molinette

Imagine that one needs to walk around a square column, 1.5 ft by 1.5 ft. Let's denotes the corners of the columns as UL(upper left), UR(upper right), LL(lower left) and LR(lower right) and one is standing on the south side of the column. Assuming that one starts at the LR corner with feet together and weight equally distributed:

1. LR corner - with both palms touching the south wall of the column, one shifts body weight to the right foot; pushes the big toe of the left foot to the LL corner; completes weight transfer by dragging the big toe of the right foot and parks the right foot beside the left foot with heel touching.

2. LL corner - one rotates the torso in clock-wise direction until both palms can touch the west wall of the column while holding the hip in position and letting the right heel to lift off the floor; one extends the right leg by pushing the the big toe of the right foot toward the UL corner of the column; as the big toe of the right foot arrives at the UL corner, one transfers weight to the right foot evenly distributed and allowing the left heel lift off the floor while balancing on the ball of the left foot.

3. UL corner - one rotates the torso in clock-wise direction until both palms can touch the north wall of the column while holding the hip in position; as one can touch the north wall, one drags the left big toe toward the right heel to allow the hip to begin to unwind and to release the torque along the central axis; one allows the left big toe to touch the right heel prior to proceed a side step toward the UR corner; one completes weight transfer onto the left foot by allowing the right heel to lift off the floor and balance on the big toe of the right foot.

4. UR corner - one rotates the torso in clock-wise direction until both palms can touch the east wall of the column while holding the hip in position; as one can touch the east wall, one drags the right big toe toward the left heel to allow the hip to begin to unwind and to release the torque along the central axis; one allows the right big toe to touch the left heel prior to proceed a back step toward the LR corner; one completes weight transfer onto the right foot by allowing the left heel to lift off the floor and balance on the big toe of the left foot.

5. LR corner - one rotates the torso in clock-wise direction until both palms can touch the south wall of the column while holding the hip in position; as one can touch the south wall, one drags the left big toe toward the right heel to allow the hip to begin to unwind and to release the torque along the central axis; one allows the left big toe to touch the right heel [Back To Step 1] prior to proceed a side step toward the LL corner; one completes weight transfer onto the left foot by allowing the right heel to lift off the floor and balance on the big toe of the right foot.

Always lead and follow with the torso to generate internal torque along the standing axis to drive the hip and the hip to drive the leg and the leg to drive the big toe to push or to drag along and to remain contact with the floor as long as possible in a control manner.